Footfall in retail parks across the UK rose by 6.9% year-on-year by 1pm on Friday, December 26, analysts said
United Kingdom retail parks saw increased traffic on Boxing Day 2025 than one year earlier, data from a retail analyst showed.
December 26 traditionally sees shoppers hitting retail sites on the hut for bargains the day after Christmas.
The Press Association reported that a survey by lender Barclays showed fewer people planned to take part in the Boxing Day deals the day after Christmas in 2025 compared to one year earlier for “cost-conscious” reasons, but retail analysts MRI Software said early figures were promising.
Footfall in retail parks across the UK rose by 6.9% year-on-year by 1pm on Friday, December 26, the group said. This accounted for footfall in more than 660 retail destinations across the country 24/7 through cameras.
“It’s a really positive start to Boxing Day, which we’ve not seen for a number of years,” MRI Software retail analyst, Jenni Matthews, told the PA.
“So really encouraging and especially given that the retail sector have had quite a tough start to the year,” Matthews said. “This is a really, really strong close to the year.”
Matthews said analysts would not normally see these numbers for a couple of days, and are more promising given a lot of stores are still closed.
However, high streets and shopping centres have not yet experienced the same pick up this Boxing Day. Footfall was down 2.4% and 2.6% respectively early on Friday afternoon, PA reported.
Matthews said retail parks were doing particularly well as shoppers could be eating out or engaging in activities rather than just shopping.
“Boxing Day at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City delivered a strong performance, with early indicators pointing to solid, broad-based trading across beauty and wellness, home and luxury,” said Katie Wyle, managing director of customer and retail operations for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in northern Europe.
“Visitors spent the day moving between shopping, dining and leisure, enjoying longer stays in our centres,” Wyle said.
Wyle said the results highlight that while shopping remains central to Boxing Day, people increasingly see it as a full-day occasion. People combine retail, dining and leisure rather than focusing on a single transaction, she said.
Preliminary data from Visa Consulting and Analytics’ annual retail spend monitor, which analysed UK retail spending from November 1 to December 23, showed holiday spending rose this year.
The data, which measured in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, showed overall holiday spending rose 3.6% year-on-year for the 2025 festive period.
Visa’s preliminary data was not adjusted for inflation.
